The Prison Guard Who Found the Path to Liberation

This is a record of an interview with Hua Chunmei, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. She now resides in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. This account reflects upon her life and her subsequent journey through the realms of existence. Recorded by the chief writer, Shi Fa, on August 3, 2024.

Hua Chunmei speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to arrive in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. The other prison guards who came with me share this same feeling; we are all so astonished and overjoyed to be here. We are filled with gratitude—gratitude to Namo Amituofo and gratitude to Practitioner Su.

The Heavy Burden of Womanhood

If you look at my name, you will know that in that lifetime, I was born as a woman. Is being a woman good or bad? Everyone’s experience is different. But I believe that from the perspective of samsara, most would find it a life of suffering. Women, in particular, find it very easy to become attached to many things—emotions, and especially the family. Because it is so difficult to let go, the suffering is exceptionally profound. I was a woman, too, and I understand that feeling of being unable to let go. It is a heavy, suffocating weight that hangs upon the heart, causing immense pain, yet one feels completely helpless to change it. It is a cycle of attachment that binds the spirit.

I had thirteen children, and every single one of them was my treasure. I loved children dearly. After I was married, whenever I became pregnant, I insisted on bringing them into the world, no matter how difficult our life was. My husband asked me several times if I wanted to terminate the pregnancies so that our lives would not be so arduous. Every time I heard him say such things, I would immediately argue with him. I felt he should never speak that way, because every child is a spirit, a life. To me, they were sacred gifts, and I could not bear the thought of turning them away. However, after giving birth to my thirteenth child, I chose to stop. I could have continued, as I had married young and was not yet too old, but I decided that was enough, even though I loved children so much. There was a reason for my decision, an understanding that only dawned on me after the thirteenth child was born.

The Gift of Foresight and the Pain of Knowing

I was born with the ability to see people's destinies. I did not need to use astrology or birth charts; I simply knew through my own sensitivity. I was very accurate with many people. I could see when they would encounter a calamity, what kind of life they would lead, how their relationships would unfold, and so on. If I wanted to look at someone and focused my attention, I could see everything. Although I had this ability, there were many things I could not speak of, lest I harm myself or the other person. I looked at my thirteen children from the day they were born, and I saw their entire lives laid out before me. Even though I saw it, there was nothing I could do for them, because that was their fate; they had their own paths to walk. I saw that some of my children would have difficult lives, and others would suffer from illness. Each child was born of me, but their destinies were all different. As a mother, what could I do for them?

My youngest, the thirteenth child, was my smallest son. The moment he was born, I saw that he would fall ill at the age of three—a condition hidden within his body from birth. Sure enough, when he turned three, strange symptoms began to appear all over his body, exactly as I had foreseen. I was heartbroken. Even though I had known it would happen since he was an infant, I could not prevent the illness. My heart ached, for it meant I could not change my children's destinies, even when I knew their futures in advance. My youngest son's condition worsened year by year. He was the reason I finally gave up the idea of having more children, because my own strength was not enough to alter their fates. The most painful thing was knowing that this day would come and being unable to change the outcome.

Changing the Heart to Transform Life

Is everyone who comes into this world here to enjoy life, or to suffer? I looked at my thirteen children, and for each of them, the suffering outweighed the joy. But later, I began to wonder: if life has such hardships, must we necessarily perceive it as suffering? Although I could not change my children's destinies, I could change their state of mind. I believed that if they faced life's challenges with a more optimistic attitude, they would have a more positive experience. Even if the results remained the same, as long as the heart does not feel the suffering, then naturally, it is not suffering.

I began to teach my children in various ways. The first thing they needed to learn was gratitude. A person can never be without a heart of gratitude—not just toward parents and siblings, but toward the whole world. If a child carries a heart of gratitude wherever they go, I believe their life will be smooth. Even if they are not wealthy, their hearts will be happy and content because of that gratitude. I also taught my children to practise giving. Although we were poor and had no money to donate, they were willing to share the candy and biscuits they received only twice a month with other children. I also led them to contribute their labour, helping to clean the community, beautifying the environment, or cleaning the homes of the solitary elderly. Wherever there was a need, I took my children to help. I taught them to look for the good, think of the good, speak of the good, and do the good. If we see others as good and speak of them as good, we ourselves will also be good. The children were very bright; they understood after being taught once and knew how to apply these lessons to other situations.

The Miraculous Shift in Destiny

I did my best to educate them, using education to change their thoughts and behaviours, teaching them to think of goodness and act with goodness. During their growth, I never revealed anything I had foreseen. Besides the fact that I could not, there was no need; speaking of it would only cause them worry and affliction. So, I let things take their natural course. Even though I knew what was coming, I did not dwell on it; I simply did my best to raise them well. The most miraculous thing was that as long as the children listened and truly changed their character according to my teachings, I found that their lives began to shift quietly. Take my youngest son, for example. When he was born, I saw that after his illness began at three, his life would be in danger at fifteen. But as he followed my teachings and constantly changed his mental notes, truly developing a heart of compassion to help others, I saw his body naturally improve day by day. In an invisible way, he had changed his own destiny and life.

I saw my children becoming better and better because their hearts were kind, and they were very willing to take the initiative to help others. They understood gratitude and the act of giving away what they possessed. It was their own effort that brought a turning point and change to their lives. My heart did not just want my own children to be well; I hoped that every child could, through their own changes, let their lives shine and live a different kind of existence. Later, I began to help other children, using my experience to guide them, especially those in prison. Although they were adults, deep down they still had a pure self that had simply been covered up. I hoped to help them find that self again so they could live differently. I successfully helped many people change their destinies through changing their hearts. Once everyone began to change, they realised that all suffering comes from one's own perceptions. By letting go of these perceptions, learning positive mental notes, and actively changing, one will achieve a different result.

Lost in the Maze of the Afterlife

In that life, I could foresee the lives of others, but I could not see where they would go after death—including myself. I truly could not see it. As my life was coming to an end, I began to panic. I did not know where I would go after I died. I was about to leave my children and this world to face a completely unknown space. After I stopped breathing, my spirit entered a maze game—a game my children and I often played. It was not because I was attached to the game, but because before my life ended, I felt confused about my future destination. This created a feeling similar to walking in a maze. My mind quickly recalled this game, and it was as if I were walking inside it. Who would have thought that my spirit would follow that memory, the immediate intention, and the hesitation in my heart, and enter the maze game after leaving my body?

When I entered the maze, I discovered many other spirits there. They were all confused, bewildered, and lost, wandering around and unable to find their way out. At that moment, I immediately felt the urge to help. I wanted to assist these spirits in finding the exit. This intention was very strong, just like my desire to help others when I was alive. Perhaps it was this goodness that allowed me to escape the maze within a year. After leaving the maze, I was taken to the hells by two prison guards. King Yama praised me for having helped many people in my life, which gave me the opportunity to serve as a prison guard in the hells. I was very grateful to King Yama, though I felt some regret that I had not had the chance to save all the spirits in the maze. However, I eventually let go of that, because every spirit has its own path to walk. I did what I could, and I had to let go of the results.

The Call of the Dharma and Final Deliverance

In the hells, I later heard Practitioner Su giving Dharma talks. The moment I heard him, I wept loudly and for a long time. It was such a pity that I did not have the Causal Conditions to hear the Buddha’s teachings in that life. If I had heard these scriptures earlier, I would have known how to use the Dharma to change my destiny and would have known that the final destination is liberation—to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land—rather than being as ignorant and lost as I was when I passed away. I began to actively propagate the Buddha’s teachings, letting more spirits know the importance of learning and chanting the Buddha’s name. Many of these spirits in the hells are not actually evil; they just never received the correct guidance. So, I worked hard to introduce the Dharma to them, giving them a chance to change, to repent, and to seek liberation.

After serving in the hells for a period of time, I was notified that I had been placed on the list for Practitioner Su to lead to the West. I was so surprised and moved. Today, I and fifty-nine other prison guards have arrived in the West. We are all filled with Dharma joy, kneeling to express our gratitude to Namo Amituofo and Practitioner Su. Namo Amituofo. Hua Chunmei bows in reverence."